Dystopian Journal 3

Throughout BNW, Huxley uses a tone of submission, like all the characters are under the influence of some power greater than them, and they know it, but they don't fight against it. Huxley also uses repeated symbols of well-known vices such as soma(drugs) and sex being used in uncontrolled doses, another way to show that the citizens of the society do not have control over themselves. Huxley uses the lack of control and tone of submission to portray a state of passiveness among citizens to the society's actions. He tries to show how this passiveness endangers the rights of the citizens by showing the controllers of society misleading the citizens to believe that everything that they are taught to do is the correct and only way to do things. Huxley portrays this through the society's controllers, who have complete control over the citizens, but keep them passive by keeping them happy with drugs and propaganda that their society is perfect. Through the use of these symbols, Huxley attempts to inform people that if they remain passive and allow outer objects to control them, they can be taken advantage of as well, and have their freedoms taken away from them. Huxley's outlook on this situation does not leave much hope, however. He shows the people being taken advantage of by the controllers of the society. He also shows the people who try to rebel and take action against the society being punished, either by banishment, like Bernard and Hemholtz, or depression ending in suicide, like John. This represents Huxley's message that while taking action towards a controlling society is important, it is difficult and can be disheartening.
Word Count:278

BNW Thesis Statements

Figures of Speech:
Observations: -John the Savage can never escape suffering-in Malpais people exclude him, but in London people don't give him enough space-ironic
-Huxley uses the metaphor of an iceberg in water to describe the distribution of power in social classes.
Questions: -Why does Huxley include the irony of John's endless suffering?
-What is Huxley's purpose in comparing the equality of social classes to an iceberg?
Thesis:-Through the metaphor of an iceberg in water, Huxley attempts to show that a society has to have some underdogs in order to function, and that attempts to change this social structure are only harmful to the society's ability to function.

Rhetorical Devices:
Observations: -John's realizations upon coming to "civilization" are similar to the observations of Mustapha Mond.
Question:-Why does Huxley draw a parallel between the experiences of a society's complete outsider and those of the society's biggest insider?
Thesis:-Huxley compares the opinions of John, an outsider, and Mond, the controller of the society, in order to show that a person who runs a society, while having more knowledge than the citizens, is even more of a prisoner than the others. Huxley expresses that those who are considered the biggest insiders to groups are often the greatest outcasts of all.

Propaganda Picture-1947

http://www.kbjournal.org/files/images/lifebuoysoap.jpg
This poster from 1947 targets women-primarily housewives. It appeals to women because it touches on soft spots for most women: social standing with other women and desirability to men. This ad uses the picture of a fairly average yet attractive woman. It shows her in situations that women of this time period might commonly find themselves in, making it easy for women to relate to. The ad doesn't appear controlling or manipulative, because it is advertising a simple beauty product using a woman who is designed to seem nonthreatening and relatable to regular women. The slogan is fairly commonplace and not a prominent part of the ad. The complicated layout of the ad also distracts from the slogan. Therefore, the slogan is not very effective.

Brave New World: Symbol thesis statement

Symbols:
soma, constant emphasis on sex

Question: Why does Huxley use these self-induced practices that are not directly forced on citizens as examples of societal control as opposed to types of control that are forcefully imposed on citizens?

Thesis: Huxley uses the symbols of soma and sex, two concepts of self-induced pleasure that are, in reality, harmful, to show that if a society ingrains its practices of control into its citizens, the practices become such a part of society that the citizens begin to inflict them on themselves, unaware that they are a form of control.

Dystopian Journal 2

Lenina Crowne changes throughout the book, as a character who struggles against society. Lenina is a member of the society who epitomizes the ideal woman for this society. She is considered beautiful and charming, and sees multiple men. She does not question the way society is run, but is happy with it. When Lenina begins to see Bernard Marx, she begins to learn about Bernard's radical ideas of freedom and his active interest in the outside world. The members of society consider Bernard abnormal because of his tendency to want to be private about things, his reluctance to see multiple girls, and his resistance to soma. Lenina likes Bernard and wants a relationship with him. However, Lenina wavers between accepting Bernard despite his unconventional ideas and remaining loyal to her society, whose way of life she is familiar. Lenina faces the conflict of discriminating between beliefs that society has inflicted upon her and forming her own beliefs. Lenina's attempts to resist the conventional society include going to a savage reservation with Bernard and trying to understand why he finds the outside world so fascinating. However, Lenina finds that Bernard's beliefs are difficult for her to accept after years of conditioning by the society to believe that everything in the outside world is wrong. After visiting the savage reservation with Bernard, Lenina has tried to understand the ways of the outside world, but is overwhelmed by the extreme differences. By the end of the trip, Lenina has found the strange ideas, the opposite of everything she has been taught to cherish as important, to be too much for her to accept. She finds Bernard's ideas to be so intimidating that she does not know how to deal with them. She reverts to the thing that her old society gives as the answer to all problems: Soma.
Word Count:305

Final Thesis

Through Mersault's observations and interactions with others, Camus reveals that it is unfair to consider nonconformists defiers of societal norm, because often, they choose their nonconformity independent of societal influence.

Dystopian Journal 1

Dystopian Book: Brave New World

"He had emerged from that crimson twilight into the common electric glare with a self-consciousness intensified to the pitch of agony. He was utterly miserable, and perhaps(her shining eyes accused him), perhaps it was his own fault. "Quite wonderful," he repeated; but the only thing he could think of were Morgana's eyebrows"(Huxley 57).
The passage reveals that Bernard is different from the rest of society. The society runs by the two guiding forces that "everyone belongs to everyone else" and conditioning people to “love whatever they are forced to do.” This is emphasized by society's attitude to sexual activity, which is such an integral part of life that everyone feels perfectly comfortable with the freedom with which it is talked about. This section of the book finds Bernard attending Solidarity Service, a ritual where 12 people (6 males and 6 females) join to make themselves "one identity". Huxley implies that this is a sex ritual, where everyone has to be engaged with someone else. This emphasizes principle that everyone belongs to everyone else, because having sex with different people is not an option in this society, but an expectation, conditioned in them from a young age. The rest of the people involved in the Service, after the sexual activity is over, are enraptured by how “wonderful” it is, thus showing that society has successfully conditioned them to love what they are forced to do. Bernard knows that he is abnormal for not feeling the same way. He feigns enthusiasm, but cannot hide his ill ease for this ritual. All he can focus on is the disgust that he feels for the attitude that his society takes toward making every aspect of life so public.
Word Count:231

New Thesis

Mersault's refusal to conform to society's norms is not out of defiance to society, but an independent choice he makes on how to lead his own life.

Thesis Revision

Using foils and juxtaposition to characterize Mersault, Camus reveals that judging Mersault as an outsider to society due to his renouncement of expected moral standards is unfair because a defiance of conventional morals does not always indicate a rejection of society and their values.

The Stranger: Journal 8

Thesis: Camus reveals that judging a person by the emotions they display is meaningless because an absence of emotion does not necessarily indicate a lack of humanity. Though Mersault is emotionally disconnected, his active choice to live this way shows that he is as human as anyone who choses to live a life filled with emotion.

The Stranger: Journal 9

At the end of the text, Mersault comes to the conclusion that searching for a "deeper meaning" in life is futile. He believes he has found all the meaning he needs in his life by choosing to live it the way he wants-which happens to be devoid of emotion. Camus wants the readers to feel this way as well, and also to develop an understanding for Mersault's attitude. After coming to this realization, Mersault is at peace with himself and therefore is happer.

The Stranger: Journal 7

Camus creates 2 parts for two reasons: First, in order to create and build tension. Camus lays the groundwork for the story in Part 1, and much of the action happens in Part 2. Secondly, Camus compares Mersault's personality from Part 1 to Part 2. This is shown by two similar passages: the first at the end of Ch. 1 in Part 1, and at the end of Ch. 3 in Part 2. Both use long sentences describing a scene full of things that Mersault loves. However, in part 2, Mersault is looking back on these things, realizing that he has now been robbed of these "simplest and most lasting joys". Part 1 establishes these joys that Mersault loves but doesn't think are anything special. Part 2 shows Mersault's discovery that these simple joys are what gave his life meaning-the value that he put into things. Supporting this discovery is the scene where the chaplain tells Mersault that he must have wanted a religious life at some time. Mersault realizes that he has lived a more meaningful life than anyone who has been religious because he knows exactly what meaning his life has: He gave his own life meaning.